3 Killed in a Thornton, Colo., Walmart

Police in Colorado on Thursday were searching for a gunman who calmly walked into a Walmart in suburban Denver and opened fire with a handgun, randomly shooting at shoppers and store clerks, killing three people, before he fled.

The suspect “nonchalantly” entered a Walmart in Thornton, Colorado, and opened fire a little after 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and then walked out, got into a red four-door hatchback and drove away, Thornton Police Department spokesman Victor Aliva told reporters, citing witness accounts.

“What we have determined is that it is random as of right now,” Aliva said. “As witnesses stated, the person came in and just shot toward a group.”

Two men died at the scene of the shooting. A wounded woman was taken to a hospital where she died, he said.

The shooter is a white man, who was wearing a black jacket, maroon shirt and blue jeans, Aliva said.

There was no indication that the shooting was an act of terrorism as no one has claimed responsibility, he said.

“We can’t rule anything out,” he said.

Thornton is city of about 120,000 people roughly 10 miles (16 km) northeast of downtown Denver. (Reuters)